Under different circumstances, I would have been touched and flattered to have our work thus acknowledged. While she genuinely appreciated the training, everything about her rubbed me the wrong way.
“Glad to be of service,” I replied once more politely, although allowing a sliver of my boredom to show.
“It must be really difficult for your mate to have you gone all day and most evenings working with the rest of us,” Stella said with fake innocence while taking a step forward.
“As you and everyone else is well aware, I am unmated,” I said in a tone as hard as my glare.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the female responded without the slightest shred of sincerity. “I confused things. It is true that it is your brother Tremak who is mated. I’m surprised that you’re not. You’re the leader of your people, and a fine-looking specimen. Has no female found grace in your eyes?”
“Scelk females are few and far between,” I said coolly. “That, too, you should be aware of. Why don’t you get straight to the point?”
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” Stella said, licking her lips nervously. “I guess it’s a little awkward for me to have such a conversation with as attractive a male as you. Since there are so few of your own women, have you ever considered a human female? I can promise you there are many that would be more than willing… Assuming our species are compatible.”
“Why? Are you interested?” I asked, taking a step towards her.
This time, Stella licked her lips in a provocative way and blatantly undressed me with her eyes.
“What if I was?” she asked.
The thoughts swirling through her mind were pissing me off even more than her obnoxious confidence. She was patting herself on the back how for easy it was turning out to be, believing I was desperate for it. She’d received a dare from one of her friends to bed one of us. But even as she was eyeing me, the female was wondering how much faking would be required of her, and if she’d be able to get through it without gagging.
“Well if you were, it would be rude of me not to see to your needs,” I said, taking another step forward, almost invading her personal space. It was a dangerous game as I couldn’t bear the thought of her touching me, which she might in her seduction efforts. I therefore made sure to cool her interest before she crossed that line. “We are very much compatible. However, I must warn you of a few things when mating with a Scelk.”
The forbidding tone I had taken yielded exactly the result I had hoped for. Stella stared at me expectantly, wariness stiffening her previously sensual pose.
“You see, my people usually only have sex with their mate. Condoms and other such contraceptives do not work with us. The sex will be mind-blowing, and I can make you come so hard and so many times that your vocal cords will be shot for a few days. Then I will fill you to the brim with my seed. Just be aware that you will inevitably conceive, although it won’t be anything like with humans.”
Stella’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped, all sensual demeanor evaporated. She unconsciously took a step back, and I took two forward in response.
“It will be a bit of an awkward experience for you, but thankfully not painful,” I said in the soft and eager voice of the salesman ironing out the last hesitations of the customers he’s about to con into buying something they don’t need. “Human females watch their bodies get deformed for nine months and go through all kinds of pains during the pregnancy and worse even upon delivery. But not with us. From all the sperm I will flood your womb with, about two dozen larvae will hatch from your egg in about a week or so after our mating.”
“Oh my God!” Stella exclaimed horrified. “You want to put larvae inside of me?”
“It is our way,” I said in an apologetic tone. “But the good news is our species is all about survival of the fittest. Most of them will kill and eat each other in the two weeks of gestation. So, you will only deliver four or five larvae that will attack each other again. In the end, we will only have one or two children left who will eventually grow into Scelks like me, with parts of your beautiful features. And all of that will be done and over with in the very short span of three weeks. You won’t even lose your perfect figure, although your appearance will partially take on some Scelk features. So, want to fuck?”
“No! That’s fucking disgusting!” Stella said, clutching the fabric of her dark grey Coalition uniform over her stomach. “Stay away from me, you freak!” she added, quickly backing away from me.
“But why?” I asked, pretending to be saddened. “I thought you were interested. What’s a few larvae in exchange for the bragging rights of being the first human to bang a Scelk? Don’t you want to add one of us as a trophy to your bedpost?”
Stella blanched, her dark-brown eyes widening in understanding. “You read my fucking mind!”
“So, you confess you were indeed coming on to me as a dare?” I challenged.
The door of one of the holodecks opened, and five Coalition people poured out, their animated conversation stopping as soon as they noticed our presence and took in the Operator’s shocked expression.
“Are you okay, Stella? Did he do something to you?” one male I didn’t know asked.
I read her thoughts even as they began to take form in her mind.
“Careful what lies you speak,” I telepathically warned Stella as she opened her mouth to answer. “I record all of my interaction with non-Vanguard personnel to avoid situations exactly like the one you’re tempted to create out of spite.”
She winced—although it was subtle—and plastered an admirably controlled expression on her face.
“I’m fine, thank you. It was just unnerving to find myself alone in the hallway with one of those Scelk parasites,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder while marching towards them.
“You will apologize immediately,” Linette’s glacial voice said behind me.
My head jerked left to look over my shoulder at the petite female. She looked livid, her beautiful blue eyes throwing daggers at Stella.
“I have absolutely nothing to apologize about,” Stella said, lifting her chin defiantly and crossing her arms over her chest. “He is a parasite. Ask the poor dude whose body he now struts around in.”
“Linette—” I started in an appeasing tone.
“One moment, Varnog,” she said, lifting a single finger at me in the ‘one-minute’ gesture, her furious gaze never straying from the Operator. “However he was born is irrelevant to who he is now. Your words were meant to demean and insult a member of the Vanguard—and a greatly valued one at that. So, you will apologize, or I will have you escorted off Khepri immediately and have you banned for the next five years. Choose wisely.”
“You don’t have that power,” said the man who had asked Stella if she was fine. “Who the fuck are you, anyway? His girlfriend?”
Linette stared at him unflinchingly. “Not his girlfriend, no. I do not have that honor. What I am is a Senior Officer of the Vanguard, and I most definitely have the power to get any single one of you expelled without appeal if you give me cause.”
Turning back towards Stella, she put her hands on her hips and leveled her with an intimidating stare just as Wrath and Bane were entering the hallway with a brisk walk. The female seemed unnerved. In that instant, the anger she had awakened in me evaporated to be replaced by pity and a bit of confusion.